Man, it feels good to be back! Just like that, the summer is over and college football is back on our screens. Now, if we could only convince Mother Nature to cool things off for us just a little bit, we’d be in full-on football mode. Nonetheless, this does mean it’s time to revive one of my favorite weekly columns here on SoBros Network – the Heisman Watch! If you’re new here, allow me to explain my system to you guys. It’s pretty simple – each week, I rank the top five “Heisman” performances, whether that’s considering “Heisman moments” in big games, gaudy stats, lifting a team, or some combination of everything. I rank these performances based on that week’s action alone. At no point until the end of the season will I consider the total body of work. Each week, this column exists within a vacuum of that week’s action alone. I usually align with the Heisman voters by the end of the season, though there have been a few differing opinions throughout the seven years I’ve been doing this column.
So, if you’re new here, welcome! If you’ve been here before, welcome back. I’m happy to see you again. I’m adding a 6th spot in this initial column to account for Week 0, and while it was somewhat difficult to pin the order of these guys down, the top two were relatively easy for me. I’m leading off this piece with Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis, who guided his team to what was easily the most impressive win of the weekend over #5 ranked LSU. Against the Tigers, Travis went 23/31 for 342 yards, four touchdowns, an interception, 38 rushing yards, and a rushing touchdown to make for five total touchdowns accounted for. Florida State won the game 45-24, but it really wasn’t even that close. What won’t show up in the box score is how poised Travis was, clearly unafraid of the moment. Having guys like Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson to throw the ball to certainly helps, but to me, Travis was the most impressive of the bunch that secured a surprisingly dominant victory over a team many thought would win the SEC (and still could).
If Travis is 1A, then Shedeur Sanders is 1B. It’s that narrow for me, and really, the only tiebreaker here is that I just don’t think TCU is going to be very good this season (I’m not overreacting to Week 1 – go listen to last week’s College Football Roundup podcast). Where Travis gets the quality win over a tough opponent, Sanders gets the upset underdog special. Colorado was a 20.5-point underdog at TCU, and all they did was go in and electrify the Horned Frogs. Props to Coach Prime – some of the stuff they were running on offense was truly innovative. Sanders was a fireworks show, going 38/47 for 510 yards and four touchdowns. He opened my eyes as a NFL Draft evaluator…some minor footwork issues, but he was throwing some bombs and dimes alike. If he keeps on this trajectory, he’s going to be a first rounder.
Michael Penix Jr. checks the gaudy stats box, for sure, and in a week that so many teams played some real cupcakes, Penix played well against a Boise State team that is no slouch. The Broncos will have a say in that ‘Group of Five’ race for the Fiesta Bowl. An established college quarterback looking to work his way into first round discussion next spring in his own right, Penix was 29/40 for 450 yards and five touchdowns.
What Colorado did with Travis Hunter feels unprecedented in 2023 – 11 catches for 119 yards on offense, and then turning around and playing cornerback, where he made three tackles and registered an interception. That’s just crazy stuff, man. Like I gave honorable mentions to the Florida State wide receivers, I’d also have to give an honorable mention to Dylan Edwards here as well for tallying 135 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Good for Sam Hartman, who transferred to Notre Dame this season. That Wake Forest offense is a little wonky, and it led to many insinuating that Hartman was a gimmicky quarterback. Running something a little more pro-oriented at Notre Dame, he’s lit up the scoreboard through two games, albeit against inferior competition. His 98.0 QBR led the nation in Week 1, and when you average in his first game, he’s sitting at a cool 97.1 on the season. He’s already up to seven total touchdowns on the season so far. Watch out for the Fighting Irish.
New season, same Caleb Williams. As with Hartman, he’s on down the list because of a level of competition question (Nevada and San Jose State), but I still can’t deny the prolific presence he has as a signal-caller. The reigning Heisman winner is already at 597 passing yards and nine touchdowns. If he’s going to repeat, he’s off to a great start, doing what he needs to do in this games to stay at the top of the Heisman mountain.
Week 1 Honorable Mentions: Coleman, Wilson, Edwards, Jalen Milroe, DJ Uiagalelei, John Rhys Plumlee, Riley Leonard
Heisman Points (Week 1)
- Jordan Travis – 6
- Shedeur Sanders – 5
- Michael Penix, Jr. – 4
- Travis Hunter – 3
- Sam Hartman – 2
- Caleb Williams – 1
Heisman Points (2023 Season)
- Jordan Travis – 6
- Shedeur Sanders – 5
- Michael Penix, Jr. – 4
- Travis Hunter – 3
- Sam Hartman – 2
- Caleb Williams – 1
If you haven’t already, be sure to go subscribe to the College Football Roundup Podcast, on which Steven McCash and myself break down all the action from the college football world and look ahead to the week to come.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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